ExtendMedia Takes Video Content Management to the Skies

Extend Media (site) -- a provider of software for managing digital media and high-volume commercial video services -- is about to take off with a new offering based on their OpenCASE CMS that should make flying much more entertaining.

ExtendMedia announced a new partnership with Thales -- a company that provides passenger entertainment systems for the airline industry. The deal is geared towards the development of a centralized content management platform that will eliminate traditional manual processes.

The platform aims to automate all content delivery processes between procurement of given media assets to their use 40,000 feet above the ground. It will also include a transaction support function that will streamline payment transactions through Thales existing IFE payment system.

Delivery Platform Through OpenCASE

Based on ExtendMedia’s existing CMS called OpenCASE, the new content delivery system will provide an end-to-end platform that will significantly reduce the time and cost of delivering video assets to clients.

The existing platform already allows for the delivery of content and multi-screen content services to PCs, televisions and mobile devices. With this product, it will do the same with in-flight services.

Based around an intuitive interface, it provides the user with the ability to directly control content ingestion processes, video metadata editing, flexible workflows as well as automation configuration abilities.

The ExtendMedia OpenCASE CMS interface

With the new platform adapted for the in-flight industry, clients will also be able to define sophisticated business processes from ingestion to distribution and promotion, from the workflow-driven interface.

Extensible Java Architecture

The platform itself will be able support a video service with thousands of assets already in place, and a potential user-base of millions.

Built on an extensible Java architecture, it contains business and integration interfaces for accessing all data and processes with the OpenCASE product suite.

"Consumers want the same expansive media choices and flexibility in-flight as they do in their everyday lives," ExtendMedia CEO Tom MacIsaac said in a statement. "As we continue our international expansion, we expect that our solution with Thales will establish a new standard, in both cost efficiency and unique service capabilities, for in-flight entertainment."

Other elements on the suite include:

an ability to configure values, or editing rules for fields that can be applied to assets once they are acquired

an encoding infrastructure that determines when, and at what point an asset should be encoded

an ability to turn encoded assets into protected assets

a geographical locator which automatically determines where assets are sent to

automatic workflows from end-to end

Soon to Come to an Airplane Near You

At the moment the new content platform can only deliver static on-demand content to passengers. However, if OpenCASE really takes to the air, it is unlikely that the new partnership will stop there with the possibilities of unique interactive content in the future. As more and more airlines and planes are able to provide WiFi onboard, Thales may be able to offer more interactive offerings in flight.